Community Voices: A spring flurry you will want to see

Friday

Mar 14, 2014 at 5:00 PM

Spring flurry! OK, I know many of us are tired of a winter that wouldn't quit and we do not want to see any spring flurries, but I want to talk about “Spring Flurry,” a cultivated variety or “cultivar” of downey serviceberry.

Andrew Hillman

Spring flurry! OK, I know many of us are tired of a winter that wouldn’t quit and we do not want to see any spring flurries, but I want to talk about “Spring Flurry,” a cultivated variety or “cultivar” of downey serviceberry. Serviceberry is a native flowering tree that goes by many common names. Some other common names of serviceberry include shadbush, shadblow, sarvus-tree, and juneberry. These all refer to small to medium, native, early spring flowering trees in the genus Amelenchier. There are several native species in the genus Amelenchier. These species can hybridize, so Amelenchier taxonomy can be difficult and parentage of hybrids can be guesswork. The two species I am describing are Amelenchier arborea and Amelenchier laevis.

These common names have interesting legends of how they came about, and while some are true others are myths. For instance, the name serviceberry is sometimes said to have originated because this beautiful tree blooms when the Appalachian roads became passable enough in the spring for the circuit riding preachers to resume regular church services. Another related myth is that serviceberry trees bloomed when the New England ground was thawed enough for funeral services for those who passed away during the deep winter. In actuality, serviceberry was connected by colonists to a similar tree known to Europeans as Sorbus, and that is the likely source of the service or sarvis name.

The real source of the common names shadbush or shadblow has ties to the Massachusetts shad fishery. When the shadblows bloomed, the shad were running. Native Americans knew and taught colonists that when the Amelenchiers were blooming they could expect the annual spawning run in the great shad fishery. This fishery is slowly recovering in part due to the Clean Water Act and efforts by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to reintroduce shad to historical waterways like the Charles River. Once again the shadbush will herald the returning shad from the Holyoke dam to Boston.

Whatever common name we use for Amelenchier, this is a great tree for its interesting winter bark, beautiful early spring flowers, the delicious fruit that is prized by people and birds, and the often spectacular fall foliage. While the common names are mostly tied to springtime, Amelenchier is an excellent four season landscape tree.

The Amelenchier laevis cultivar “Spring Flurry” exhibits a good upright oval tree form and in my experience it is a robust grower. This is a Schmidt’s Nursery introduction and I first planted them in Ithaca, N.Y., as part of a trial program in the late 1990s. They performed very well and established quickly in a park setting. Under ideal conditions “Spring Flurry” might grow to 35 feet in height and about 20 feet wide. It has white flowers, edible blue fruits, and orange fall color. This tree really has four season interest, but I am interested in spring!

Andrew Hillman is an urban forester on contract with the city of Fall River through a grant from Mass. DCR.